Detroit ? General Motors Corp.’s board has decided to explore an alliance with Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co., bowing to pressure from dissident billionaire shareholder Kirk Kerkorian who has chafed about the pace of the turnaround plan at the world’s biggest automaker.

Chairman and chief executive officer Rick Wagoner will lead the talks, which stem from a proposal by Kerkorian.

In a teleconference meeting Friday, the board authorized the company’s management to consider the proposal.

Last week, the company announced that 35,000 hourly workers would retire or take buyouts, helping it to reduce production capacity and close 12 plants by 2008.